Many prophylactic health care products such as condoms, diaphragms, medical and surgeons' gloves are made from natural rubber ("NR"). NR is available in pure latex form as recovered from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. Thus the preferred manufacturing process is based on the direct conversion of the NR latex into the finished product. This is readily accomplished by dipping shaped-formers into compounded natural rubber latex and removing the water by drying in an oven. Natural Rubber, which is a pure form of stereoregular cis-1,4-polyisoprene, has a very high molecular weight in its native form, and therefore readily forms a continuous film in the dipping/drying process. Also, in order to stabilize the polymeric microstructure, the NR latex is compounded with curatives which cross-link the individual polymer molecules when additional heat is applied.
The cross-linked natural rubber film exhibits a relatively low modulus, giving it good flexibility and extensibility. However, the film also exhibits exceptionally high tensile strength due to strain crystallization reinforcement and a very high level of extension at tensile failure.
The major deficiency of natural rubber is its relatively rapid reversion and degradation on aging, which is initiated by heat, oxygen, ozone, and biological agents. Also as NR films age, they exhibit a tendency to premature failure due to a lowered level of tear resistance.
In the past, there has not been any great urgency to address the improvement in physical properties of natural rubber latex films. However, with the increasing incidence of serious sexually-transmitted diseases, there is significant concern about the integrity and reliability of prophylactic products. The specific objective of the study that led to this invention was to improve the initial and retained tear strength of natural rubber films, which can then be used to produce improved prophylactic condoms, medical and surgical gloves, finger cots, and similar medical products. The invention is also applicable to other products that are made from NR latex films, such as balloons.